Defining an automation action

Automations involve one or more actions. Currently you can add, modify, or delete records in any app and table you have access to. You can also run a table-to-table import that you have already created and use an automation to copy records.

You can use old field values in your automation actions. You can copy the old value from a field in the changed record into your action. For example, if you are tracking products and you change the prices, your automation can use the previous value for a price as part of an action.

Select the action in the left-hand side of the page to edit an action. You can add actions using the + Add an action button.

Adding a record

To create an action to add a record:

Select Add a record. The next step will vary based on whether the table you selected for your trigger or previous action is already related to other tables in your app.

If the record you'd like to add will be in a table that is not related, click Finish, and select the table.

If the table is related to other tables, choose a type of child record to add. If there is more than one parent table for that child table, you can choose which parent record to relate it to.

Note: If your automation adds a child record that is related to a previous action (rather than your trigger), and your relationship uses a key field that is not the Record ID, your record will not be related to the parent record.

To add the record to an unrelated table, select Add a record to a different table (advanced) and select the table.

Select fields and specify values for the record.

You can select just a few fields; the rest can be filled in later by app users.

For each field, you can type in values, copy values from other records, combine typed and copied values, or select from a calendar.

When you choose copy, your automation will retrieve the value from another record and insert it into this record.
In the Value dropdown, select a placeholder value. When your automation runs, this placeholder will be replaced with text.

If you want to relate to a previous action step (not in the trigger), that will only work if the primary key of the parent record is Record ID.

Select Save and close if this is your only action or click + Add an action.

Modifying records

To create or edit an action to modify records

Select Modify recordsThe next step will vary based on whether the table you selected for your trigger or previous action is already related to other tables in your app.

If the record you'd like to modify will be in a table that is not related, click Finish and select the table.

If the table is related to other tables, choose a type of child record to add. If there is more than one parent table for that child table, you can choose which parent record to relate it to.

If your automation modifies a child record that is related to a previous action (rather than your trigger), and your relationship uses a key field that is not the Record ID, your record will not be related to the parent record.

If the table is related, but you would like to modify records in an unrelated table, select Modify records in a different table (advanced) and select the table.

Filter records. To make sure your automation updates only the records you want, add filters to narrow which records are modified.

Select the field name, choose a condition, such as is not equal to. Then select a value. To compare two fields, choose value from another field from the dropdown.

Select fields and specify values for the record.

You can select just a few fields; the rest can be filled in later by app users.

For each field, you can type in values, copy values from other records, or combine typed and copied values.

When you choose copy, your automation will retrieve the value from another record and insert it into the modified records.
In the Value dropdown, select a placeholder value. When your automation runs, this placeholder will be replaced with text.

Select Save and close if this is your only action or click + Add an action.

WARNING: Modifying can NOT be undone. Please check to verify you are modifying the correct records.

Deleting records

An automation can delete one or more records in a table.

To create a delete records automation:

Select Delete recordsThe next step will vary based on whether the table you selected for your trigger or previous action is already related to other tables in your app.

If the record you'd like to modify will be in a table that is not related, click Finish, and select the table.

If the table is related to other tables, choose a type of child record to add. If there is more than one parent table for that child table, you can choose which parent record to relate it to.

If your automation modifies a child record that is related to a previous action (rather than your trigger), and your relationship uses a key field that is not the Record ID, your record will not be related to the parent record.

If the table is related, but you would like to delete records in an unrelated table, select Delete records in a different table (advanced) and select the table.

Filter records. To make sure your automation deletes only the records you want, add filters to narrow which records are deleted.

Select the field name, choose a condition, such as is not equal to. Then select a value. To compare two fields, choose value from another fieldfrom the dropdown.

Click Save and close if this is your only action, or click + Add an action.

WARNING: Deletion can NOT be undone. Please check to verify you are deleting the correct records.

Running a table-to-table import

An automation can run a table-to-table import that you have previously created. Select run table import, then the app, destination table, and import name of your table-to-table import.

Note: Your import will only run once when data changes are made in bulk, such as in Grid Edit mode or through importing a CSV.

Copying Records

You can use an automation to copy records or specific field values from records. In many cases, a copy records automation can replace a table-to-table import when you want to copy records from one table to another, but not merge them.

For example, you can use the copy records action to prepare snapshot reports by copying a set of field values from certain records once a week into a snapshot table.

Or you can use copy records to copy a set of standard template tasks from a template table within an app or from one app to another.

Copying, deleting, and reordering actions

You can copy or delete an action using the icons that appear when you hover over the action in the left hand side of the page.

You can also reorder actions by dragging and dropping. This works for actions that don’t have references to previous actions.